"Life's either a daring adventure or nothing." Helen Keller

Co-sleeping and Letting Go

Three nights ago we moved Miss S back into Miss Q’s room with fingers crossed and breaths held. Would Miss S wake Miss Q? Would we find a mountain of stuffed animals in the crib in the morning? Were they ready to be roomies for life?

When we brought Miss S home from the hospital I assumed she’d sleep beside me in the bassinet part of the playpen, as Miss Q had, until she was ready to share a room.

Well, we all know what assuming does – especially with babies. Miss S hated the bassinet. She woke Miss Q when placed in the crib in the room they shared. I was spending more time running from my room to theirs than I was sleeping.

This is how we ended sleeping on the couch – Miss S firmly situated on a square; me curled around her. Not the comfiest of sleeps, but in the interest of preventing Miss S from rolling off the couch and onto the floor – something that *may* have happened with Miss Q (worst night of my young motherhood life) – it worked.

After about a month of couch surfing, my neck, and body, for that matter, was broken. So we brought the crib into our bedroom.

Life was good for five months in our bedroom. I could respond promptly to Miss S’s cries; spy on her with a flashlight from my bed; and listen for her soft breaths.

Of course, there were nights where none of us got sleep, and there were nights where the whole family (minus the dog) ended up in the same bed – with some strategically placed pillows.

We’d always had plans to move Miss S and her crib back into the room with Miss Q. But deadlines came and went. It never seemed like the right time. We were scared to disrupt Miss Q’s sleep.

However, after seeing every wee hour of the early morning for weeks on end, the writing was on the wall. No matter how far I snuggled under the duvet, Miss S could smell me; knew I was there.

The first night she only woke twice. Miss Q grumpily declared she didn’t get any sleep because Miss S kept her awake. Too bad, my friend, I almost replied. That was the most sleep I’d gotten in a long time.

Miss Q still wakes when Miss S does. But she’s happy to share the room. Fewf.

My room, on the other hand, feels empty. It’s weird to be able to turn on the light when getting ready for bed. But mostly, when I see them sleeping in the same room, I feel strangely left out.

Me

I enjoy watching soccer in the rain. Most of our crafts involve glitter, finger paint or both. I am learning to eat my vegetables. And, whether in socks or bare feet, I absolutely hate stepping on Lego. Here I blog about life with my three little girls, husband and dog.